English Reference

Word

union

Phoneticsunion

US/ˈjunjən/

UK/jˈuːniən/

Definitions

01workers' organisation

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. an organisation of workers that protects their rights and helps them talk to their employers.

n. an organised association of workers formed to protect and further their rights and interests; a trade union.

“The workers decided to join the union to ask for better pay.”

“The union representatives met with the board of directors to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement regarding workplace safety.”

Synonyms

labour uniontrade unionguild

02political/state alliance

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. a group of states or countries that have joined together to form one political unit.

n. a political unit consisting of a number of states or provinces that have joined together for a common purpose.

“The European Union allows people to travel easily between member countries.”

“The treaty aimed to create a more perfect union between the neighbouring territories, harmonising their trade laws and border controls.”

03joining together

B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun

n. the act of joining two or more things into one, or the state of being joined.

n. the action of joining together or the state of being joined into a single entity.

“The union of the two companies created the largest tech firm in the city.”

“The architect sought a perfect union of form and function, ensuring the building was as beautiful as it was practical.”

04marriage

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Law Formal

n. the state of being married or joined in a relationship.

n. the state of being joined in marriage or a similar long-term relationship.

“Their union was celebrated by friends and family from both countries.”

“The legal union of the two heirs served to consolidate the family estates and end decades of litigation.”

05student association

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun British English

n. an organisation at a university that looks after students' social lives and rights.

n. a student organisation at a university or college providing social facilities and representing student interests.

“We went to the student union to grab a cheap lunch between lectures.”

“The student union voted to boycott the new campus catering contract in protest of rising prices.”

Synonyms

student councilguild

06mathematical set

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Mathematics Technical

n. a set that contains all the members of two or more other sets.

n. the set containing all elements that are members of at least one of a given collection of sets.

“The union of set A and set B includes every number found in either group.”

“To solve the probability problem, the students had to calculate the union of two overlapping data sets.”

Synonyms

Antonyms

07programming structure

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Computing Technical

n. a special way to store data where different types of information share the same memory space.

n. a data structure that allows multiple variables to share the same memory location, though only one can be used at a time.

“The programmer used a union to save memory in the embedded system.”

“Unlike a struct, a union allocates only enough memory for its largest member, which requires careful management of data types.”

08related to a labour group

B2 · Upper Intermediate

adj. describing something that belongs to or is done by a workers' union.

adj. pertaining to or represented by a labour union.

“He is a union member and never misses a monthly meeting.”

“The company faced criticism for hiring non-union contractors to complete the electrical work on the new factory.”

Antonyms

non-union

09to combine sets

C2 · Proficiency Mathematics Technical

v. to combine two groups of things into one large group in mathematics.

v. to perform the union operation on two or more mathematical sets.

“If you union these two lists, you get a complete list of all customers.”

“The algorithm was designed to union the results of several database queries into a single, deduplicated output.”

Synonyms

Collocations

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “union” in context.

Verb

01. form a union

“The employees are planning to form a union to negotiate for better pay.”

verb + noun

02. join a union

“Many workers decided to join a union to protect their rights at the factory.”

verb + noun

03. represent the union

“A local lawyer was chosen to represent the union during the meeting with the manager.”

verb + noun

Adjective

04. local union

“You should talk to your local union representative if you have a problem at work.”

adj + noun

05. strong union

“The company has a very strong union that supports all its members.”

adj + noun

Noun

06. union leader

“The union leader spoke to the press about the upcoming strike.”

noun + noun

07. union member

“Every union member has the right to vote on the new contract.”

noun + noun

Preposition

08. in a union

“Workers in a union often receive higher wages than those who are not.”

prep + noun

Usage

When capitalized, 'the Union' often refers to a specific political entity, such as the northern states during the American Civil War or the European Union.

Pitfall

The country needs more union.

The country needs more unity.

Learners may confuse 'union' (an organization or the act of joining) with 'unity' (the state of being in agreement or harmony).

Real-World Examples

“The number of union elections overseen by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) dropped 30% in 2025 after the Trump administration left the federal labor watchdog powerless, according to an analysis released on Wednesday.”
The Guardian 11 Feb 2026
“Union members are also advocating for reduced healthcare costs, paid sick leave, and more adaptable scheduling to enhance their work-life balance.”
Reuters 23 Jun 2023
“US corporations have mounted a fierce counterattack against the union drives at Starbucks, Amazon and other companies, and in response, federal officials are working overtime to crack down on those corporations’ illegal anti-union tactics – maneuvers that labor leaders fear could significantly drain the momentum behind today’s surge of unionization.”
The Guardian 26 Feb 2023
“The union, which has filed hundreds of complaints in the last four years, said in a statement to Reuters that talks are continuing.”
Reuters 14 May 2026

Etymology

(locomotive): Derived from the name of the only U.S. company to use that configuration.

Probably a variant spelling of Onion.

Clipping of Oxford Union.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

NOUN

Union(B1)

ADJECTIVE

Related words

Idioms

Domains

LawProgramming

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
Frequency
Very common
Level
B1 · IntermediateOxford
Updated

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